http://derekpilecki.com Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:59:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Primerica (NYSE: PRI - $20.98) Introduction I recently purchased shares of Primerica, which is a life insurance and mutual fund marketing company. Primerica was recently IPO’d by Citigroup (C) as part of Citi’s balance sheet reduction program. It has been one of the best performing IPO’s of the year so far. I ... http://derekpilecki.com/158/primerica-earnings-growth-regardless-of-the-economy/ The Gator Small Cap Portfolio has had strong performance in the first 10 weeks of 2010. Through March 15th, the Gator Small Cap was up 9.3% after fees compared to 7.8% for the Russell 2000® Index. This continues the portfolio’s strong performance from 2009 when it was up ... http://derekpilecki.com/156/gator-small-cap-portfolio-starts-the-year-off-strong/ Last week, Camden Fine, President and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers Association, sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner asking Treasury to restore the dividends on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock. Reading the letter, the community bankers feel like they were sold a ... http://derekpilecki.com/154/icba-calls-for-restoring-gse-preferred-dividends/ I always enjoy getting up the first Saturday in March to read Warren Buffett's annual letter to Berkshire hathaway shareholders. Here are my favorite one liners from this year's letter: "I subtly indicated that I was older and wiser...I was just older." "If Charlie, I and Ajit are ever in a ... http://derekpilecki.com/148/best-one-liners-from-buffetts-2010-shareholder-letter/ Paul Jackson, the publisher of HosuingWire magazine, wrote an interesting article about the lack of a political solution to the GSEs. I find this article interesting because there is a growing realization that the path of least resistence for resolving the GSEs Conservatorship is to simply allow them to exit in ... http://derekpilecki.com/144/interesting-gse-article-at-housing-wire/ I formed a new LinkedIn group for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders. Please join the group by following this link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2780934 The purpose of the group is for shareholders to network with each other and to discuss ways to increase shareholder value. The group is open to common and ... http://derekpilecki.com/145/new-linkedin-group-for-fannie-mae-shareholders/ Paul Pilecki moved to a new law firm, Kilpatrick Stockton, last week. He specializes in bank regulatory law. If you know any bankers who need help dealing with their regulators, Pilecki can help them. Here's the press release from Kilpatrick: Kilpatrick Stockton’s Financial Institutions Team Adds Prominent Partner WASHINGTON, ... http://derekpilecki.com/142/paul-pilecki-moves-to-kilpatrick-stockton/ There was a Fox Business news article criticizing the Obama Administration for lowering its loss estimate on the GSEs. Mr. Pinto has no factual basis behind his claim that the Obama Administration is just being "optimist" in lowering its projections of losses for Fannie and Freddie. He has ... http://derekpilecki.com/140/gse_critic_edpinto/ by Robert W. Zimmer This Reuters article is the rare GSE journalist piece that calls it like it is. Let’s review the options laid out and see what’s what. In religious wars, there are no innocent bystanders. This is certainly true for the multi-year tussle over the GSEs (Fannie ... http://derekpilecki.com/137/so-where-is-gse-reform-going-anyway/ I love my Tivo. I love the functionality. I love the design. The fast-forward speed is just right to still see the action on the ball games I missed. The Season Pass feature works flawlessly. The search function is great. I love being able ... http://derekpilecki.com/133/tivo-needs-a-web-browser/